Against the Sky is a dramatic work in three concise sections. The first section begins with a forceful statement of disjunct points of sound, which I imagine to be like fireworks or flashes of lightening seen against a night sky. This disjunct line forms a theme that makes up the material for most of the piece. The second section begins with a lyrical theme played by a solo oboe. This simple chant-like melody moves mostly in melodic steps, forming a clear foil to the instability and large leaps of the opening. This chant is presented two more times, first fragmented in the winds and then in a passionate outburst in the strings. The strings quietly hold the last note of the chant while the third section begins, a slow, inevitable climb to the final, exhilarating return of the opening. In the last bars, the music burns up under the strain of its own energy, and evaporates into nothing.